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K3 Technical MANUAL FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY – ALL INFORMATION COPYRIGHT Version 1.0
K3 Technical MANUAL FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
– ALL INFORMATION COPYRIGHT
Version 1.0
Contents Important TECHNICAL Safety Instructions ............................................................3
1.1 The DTG K3™.........................................................................................3 2 Printer Components..........................................................................................4
2.1 Front ..................................................................................................4 2.2 Rear ...................................................................................................5 2.3 WIMS front panel ....................................................................................7 2.4 Rear ...................................................................................................8 2.5 Colour ink tray.......................................................................................9 2.6 Printer Head ....................................................................................... 10
3 Printer Set Up ............................................................................................... 11 3.1 Unpacking and Positioning the DTG K3™ ...................................................... 11 3.2 Installing and Using Printer Drivers for Windows............................................. 15
4 The WIMS ..................................................................................................... 16 4.1 AOD system......................................................................................... 17 4.2 Control Panel LCD display ....................................................................... 18 4.3 Diagnostic tests.................................................................................... 18 4.4 P.O.S.T (diagnostic tests.)....................................................................... 21 4.5 Diagnostic program ............................................................................... 22 4.6 Control panel buttons ............................................................................ 26 4.7 Button functions................................................................................... 29 4.8 Print head .......................................................................................... 31 4.9 K3 print head replacement procedure......................................................... 32 4.10 AUTO AC MODULE ................................................................................. 40 4.11 Manually wipe the Print Head Face ............................................................ 43 4.12 Clean the Encoder Strip .......................................................................... 44 4.13 Clean and Lubricate the Print Head Guide Rails ............................................. 45 4.14 Clean the Drive Roller and Belt ................................................................. 46 4.15 Outer case part removal ......................................................................... 47 4.16 Outer case part removal ......................................................................... 48 4.17 Control panel removal............................................................................ 49 4.18 Main board Replacement......................................................................... 53 4.19 Scissor drive........................................................................................ 57 4.20 Head safety beam circuit ........................................................................ 61 4.21 K3 BOSS board ..................................................................................... 63 4.22 PF motor and encoder assembly ................................................................ 64 4.23 Relay board and platen gap mechanism....................................................... 65
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4.24 Automatic Platen Gap mechanism ............................................................. 67 4.25 APG sensors ........................................................................................ 68 4.26 Media switch ....................................................................................... 72 4.27 Servo motor and driver board................................................................... 74 4.28 Media conveyor belt tension adjustment...................................................... 76 4.29 Conveyor belt tension roller replacement. ................................................... 77 4.30 Servo motor encoder replacement. ............................................................ 83 4.31 Control Panel ERROR CODES..................................................................... 87
5 Transporting or Storing the Printer..................................................................... 88 5.1 Preparing the printer for transportation ...................................................... 88 5.2 Preparing the Printer for an Extended Shutdown / Storage ............................... 89
6 Requirements for PC ....................................................................................... 90 7 Printer Specifications...................................................................................... 90
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Important TECHNICAL Safety Instructions
Please read these safety instructions before attempting any repairs. It is important you follow all the warnings on the printer.
Always use THE CORRECT TOOLS.
Use only the type of power source that is indicated on the printer's label.
All equipment must be connected to grounded outlets. Do not use the same outlet for any other systems such as a copy machine or an air control unit that turns on and off.
Connect the printer to a power outlet that can easily be seen.
Make sure you do not let the power cord get damaged and do not connect the unit with a damaged cord.
If you are using an extension cord make sure the power ampere rate does not exceed the cord ampere rate of the printer.
Leave enough space around the printer for correct repair access.
Place the printer on a flat table or on a stable surface that extends around the printer. The printer will not work properly if it is on an uneven surface or tilted or leaning in any way.
Caution: Do not unplug the printer to shut it off. Use the power button instead. Do not unplug the printer until the green power light is off and the LCD display says “OFF”.
Do not block any of the printer's vents or insert anything foreign in its slots.
1.1 The DTG K3™
The DTG K3™ is a textile printing unit based on an Epson 1900 inkjet printer. In other words it is basically an inkjet printer head technology. It uses standard inkjet technology with DTG TEX Textile Ink to print on any type of cotton / cotton blend garment or fabric material.
The printer comprises several sub-systems which combine to form a complete printing unit. These systems are detailed later in this document.
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2 Printer Components *Names below are used in this technical manual
2.1 Front
A - Control keypad and LCD panel
B – Scissor bed up / down control buttons
C – Drive roller
D – Idler rollers
E – Emergency stop button
F – WIMS
G – Colour ink tray
H – Media conveyor
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2.2 Rear
A – WIMS stirrer motor
B – White ink bottle
C – White ink level window
D – White ink manual shut off
E – Filter change calendar
F – White ink coupling, leur lock male and female
G – USB cable, recommended 1.8 meters maximum
H – Power cable
I – Colour ink level window
J – Colour ink bottles
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A – White ink bottle breather, dust filter included
B – White ink peristaltic pump with replaceable pump tube
C – White ink filter cartridge, PAL ACRO 10um
D – Rest and stir adjustment knobs
F – Stirrer power connector, supplies 12VDC alternating polarity
G – Stirrer motor, 12vdc
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2.3 WIMS front panel
A – WIMS led, indicates manual lock on or diagnostic heart beat
B – STIR time setting control knob
C – MODE button, used to access manual on or diagnostic
D – REST time setting control knob
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2.4 Rear
A – USB connection port
B – Mains power socket
C – Fuse holder, use small flat screwdriver to remove
D – Main ON /OFF power switch
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2.5 Colour ink tray
A – Colour ink shut off valves, used for SHORT TERM closure of ink tubes.
B – Yellow ink bottle
C – Pressure line, air fed via one way safety valve system.
D – Magenta ink bottle
E – Cyan ink bottle
F - Black ink bottle
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2.6 Printer Head
A – White ink couplings, leur lock fittings
B – Yellow ink damper
C – Magenta ink damper
D – Cyan ink damper
F – Black ink damper
G – White ink dampers
H – White ink manifold
The Print Head itself is seated beneath the dampers and within the Print Head Carriage, and the printing face of the Print Head protrudes from beneath the Print Head Carriage.
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3 Printer Set Up
Please Note: Keep all packaging, holding fixtures and instructions for the DTG K3™ as you will need them if you have to transport your system anywhere or to return it for repair. There is a section in the back of this manual on transporting your printer. Please ensure you read and follow these instructions.
3.1 Unpacking and Positioning the DTG K3™ Please read the following directions through before unpacking your DTG K3™:
Prepare a work area with a solid work table that will not vibrate when using the DTG K3™. Allow extra room for your computer, replacement inks and space to work. See diagram below for dimensions of the unit and minimum workspace area required.
Ejecting Side
W: 670mm
D: 1260mmH: 460mm
Loading Side
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Carefully remove the printer from the box, taking hold of it by the front and rear roller side covers.
Place the printer on the work table which should be levelled first. The unit must be kept away from direct sunlight, dusty areas, excessively high humidity, strong magnetic forces and direct airflow which can dry out and clog the printing heads. It is recommended that the unit be kept in an air-conditioned environment, with temperatures no less than 5° Celsius (41°F) and no more than 30° Celsius (86°F) with humidity levels between 40 and 70%.
Provide a separate room for the spraying of pre-treatment to the garments prior to printing. If a separate room is not possible, you must allow a minimum of 5m between the spray station and the DTG K3, and ensure that forced extraction of the pre-treat vapour is carried out. Failure to adhere to these recommendations will result in erratic print quality and the need for numerous head cleans both before and during printing. This erratic behaviour is likely to worsen until the print head fails and has to be replaced.
Protect any carpet or floor covering with mats or old carpet as there is a risk of spilling wet ink when you refill the bulk ink bottles.
Place the DTG K3™ close to the heat source that you are using to cure the ink so that you have a smooth workflow, but ensure that heat does not radiate directly on to the DTG K3™. If you have more than one DTG K3™, place them around the heat source or close to it.
When you have placed the DTG K3™ unit on the floor, remove any packaging covering the unit. Check the unit carefully for shipping damage. If you find any obvious damage please contact the freight carrier immediately to arrange a freight inspection.
Remove any tape holding the waste ink and waste bottles in place.
Connect the power supply cable and the printer interface (USB or parallel) cable with your PC. Do not use an interface cable that is longer than 1.8 meters. Do not use a USB extension cable as erratic prints may result. In case of USB unrecognised device errors please try a POWERED USB Hub.
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Pour Inks into the Ink Bottles:
Gently swirl the White Ink bulk bottle FIRST. Hold the white ink lid firmly and rotate the bottle to unscrew the lid. Fill the white ink bottle about 80% or just above the level of the WIMS case top.
Please Note: Pour the ink gently so as to avoid creating air bubbles when pouring the ink. If bubbles are formed then do not run the printer until the majority of bubbles have settled.
Please note: Pay close attention to the waste ink bottle. Always empty the bottle before filling the ink bottles, and monitor the waste ink level regularly during the operation of your DTG K3™.
To fill the colour ink bottle hold the lid firmly and rotate the bottle to unscrew the lid. Fill the ink bottle about 80% full or just above the top case of the colour ink tray.
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Connect the flushing kit to the K3 as shown here. The kit comprises a syringe, a Y connector with two one way valves and extension tubes to make a pump system. Slowly and firmly fill the syringe with between 20 to 40ml of ink, then eject it from the syringe by pressing firmly, the waste ink will eject from the syringe and collect in the flushing bottle.
Always wash and clean your flushing kit after use !
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Clean the Print head Press and hold the Ink button for 3 seconds to clean the head. This will normalize the head nozzles.
From this point on, you will simply need to add ink to the bulk ink bottles as you use the system. Take care to avoid creating bubbles when doing so. Or alternatively, add ink after production has finished for the day, allowing bubbles to settle overnight before again using the printer. Remember to keep ink bottles between 50% and 75% full at all times.
3.2 Installing and Using Printer Drivers for Windows Please note: Before starting this part of the set up process, we recommend you turn OFF all Screen Savers when installing your software and printing to your DTG K3™. If you have any problems installing the Printer Drivers or the RIP software, please call the Support Department at your DTG Agent / Dealer for help.
In your DTG K3 package you received the Epson 1900 Printer Driver CD. You need to install the driver CD for Windows to operate the printer.
At some time in the future you may need to update your printer driver and you can do this by logging on to the Epson website: http://tech.epson.com.au or www.epson.com. Follow the links to the Downloads / Printer Drivers section where you can download the latest drivers.
The Epson 1900 Printer Driver includes standard maintenance routines for nozzle checks, head cleaning, and head alignment, incorporated into the software.
To Install Printer Driver for Windows To install the printer driver:
Insert the CD for Windows in your computer. Go to My Computer and select the CD drive – use only the folder marked K3 Printer
Drivers. Select the appropriate folder for your K3 by double clicking on Epson 1900. Once you have opened the appropriate folder by double clicking on it, you will see 2
further folders – one for Windows, one for Mac. Double Click on the Windows folder to open it. Select the Driver folder and double click to open it.
Double click the zip file which is contained in this folder, and follow the on-screen prompts from there (click the Unzip button when the WinZip Self-Extractor dialog box appears).
Windows will install the Epson 1900 driver on your computer and this driver will show up in your Printers and Faxes folder which you can access from the Control Panel.
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4 The WIMS Your DTG K3™ has a sophisticated patented ink management system to ensure that the white ink is always kept in optimum condition. The system comprises a special peristaltic pump and paddle stirrer, white ink manifold and filtration unit and a processor to manage it all.
The basic setup and test for the WIMS system is as follows:
1. Set the stir period in five minute graduations 2. Set the rest period in one hour graduations 3. Hold the mode button and apply power 4. Count the flashes and monitor the WIMS activity
The mode button has two functions, When the WIMS system is in rest mode the WIMMS can be forced on by holding the mode button in for a few seconds. This will lock the WIMS into active mode. To exit this mode and return the WIMS to standard operation mode, press the mode button again for a few seconds.
If the power is removed from the WIMS and the mode button held in and power re-applied, the WIMS enters a diagnostic mode which flashes the yellow LED one per second and makes the unit “act” out its settings. Therefore if the WIMS is set to rest 3 and stir 20 then the LED would flash four times while the WIMS pump and stirrer are operating, then flash three times while it rests.
The WIMS system features the ability to activate when ever the printer is active to ensure that the white ink flow is correct. The WIMS timer setting and status is automatically overridden when the AOD (Agitation On Demand) is active.
It is important to note that the WIMS on the K3 is designed to interact with the AOD system.
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4.1 AOD system.
The AOD (Agitation On Demand) system is designed to maximize pump and stirrer life whilst ensuring that the ink delivery is in optimum condition at all times. The AOD sender board monitors the active state of the printer. When the printer has been inactive for approximately 7 minutes it enters a stand-by mode and the AOD allows the timer setting in the WIMS to manage the ink stirring and circulation. If a print job or any other action requiring the printer engine to function is started the AOD will sense this and over-ride the WIMS timer causing the WIMS to activate.
The AOD sender board will indicate its requirements to the WIMS by virtue of the polarity of the 12VDC supply that it sends to the WIMS unit.
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4.2 Control Panel LCD display
4.3 Diagnostic tests. The K3 has a basic set of tests to assist with performance diagnosis.
The firmware code version can be displayed during start up by holding the LOAD+PASS buttons and pressing POWER. The K3 will display the current firmware version on the top line.
The keypad diagnostic is accessed by holding the LOAD+CLEAN buttons and pressing POWER.
The keypad status is displayed as a series of 1 or 0 depending on whether a button is pressed or not. The normal state will display six zeros meaning no keys are pressed.
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The firmware code version can be displayed during start up by holding the LOAD+EJECT buttons and pressing POWER. The K3 will go through normal start up then display the state of certain sensors, a 1 indicates the sensor is activated a 0 means the sensor is idle.
From left to right the sensors are:
PF quadrature sensor A and B – these will display the state of the PF encoder sensor while the printer is not in power save mode, as the PF encoder emitter is turned off at that stage.
Media sensor – The media switch can be manually activated to reflect its status
CR lock switch – This can be manually activated to reflect its status.
The last diagnostic test is to check the K3 media transport system and media switch interaction. Place a platen on the conveyor belt then access this test by holding the LOAD+GAP buttons and pressing POWER. The printer will go through normal start up and then do a series of 9 load and eject cycles before shutting down.
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The display will show each phase of the cycle as it goes. Here the K3 is loading the platen into the print position by driving the platen forwards until it triggers the media switch.
Now it is locating the exact position for the start of the print. It does this by reversing the platen slowly until the platen clears the media switch, then slowly edging forwards until the media switch is triggered. It then steps forwards a pre-determined distance before stopping.
The platen is now ejecting, it will drive the platen until the platen clears the media switch.
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4.4 P.O.S.T (diagnostic tests.) The K3 has two complex sets of procedures that it carries out each time the unit is powered on. The set that is selected is dependent on the status of the carriage position at power up. If the carriage is not capped in home position the printer will sense this and react accordingly.
CAPPED UNCAPPED Function
APG Exercise the PG assembly, test PG sensors
PF motor Check the PF motor and drive circuits
APG APG Exercise the PG assembly, test PG sensors
CR lock CR lock Check CR lock and pump assembly
APG APG Exercise the PG assembly, test PG sensors
PF motor PF motor Check the PF motor and drive circuits
ASF ASF Check feed back form ASF circuitry
CR motor CR motor Check the CR drive circuitry including encoder strip
PF motor S PF motor S Check the PF motor slow drive
PF motor F PF motor F Check the PF motor fast drive
CR motor CR motor Check the CR drive circuitry including encoder strip
CR lock CR lock Check CR lock and pump assembly and cap head
The above table is an extremely valuable tool in isolating problems or faults that may occur during the power up procedure.
Exercise PG assembly
The printer turns on the PG (Platen Gap) motor and raises the carriage to maximum height, this in turns increases the PG (Platen Gap) to the widest setting. The printer then lowers the carriage by rotating the PG motor in the opposite direction. The position of the carriage and therefore the platen gap is monitored by the two PG sensors located underneath the PG motor.
Check CR drive circuitry including encoder strip
The printer moves the carriage assembly left and right by means of the CR (Carriage) motor which drives the CR belt. The position of the carriage is monitored by feedback received from the CR encoder strip which runs across the printer; this strip is read by the CR encoder sensor mounted at the rear of the carriage assembly.
Check PF motor and drive circuits
The printer will activate the PF motor (Paper Feed) in the forward direction at two different speeds. The performance of the PF motor is monitored by the PF encoder wheel and PF encoder sensor which is coupled by the PF drive belt.
Check CR lock and pump assembly and cap head
The motor located in the capping station drives the CR lock assembly which locks the carriage unit into the capping station. The same motor also powers the pump and wiper blade. The K3 monitors the status of the carriage lock via the CR lock switch located in front of the capping station.
Check feed back from ASF circuitry
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This unit is simulated by the BOSS board and therefore not explained here.
4.5 Diagnostic program The Epson 1900 has a diagnostic and adjustment program which is a very powerful tool when used correctly. The following instructions explain how to use this program to disclose the last fault.
Connect the printer, turn it on and then double click on the Loader.exe icon as shown below.
Click on the “Accept” button to launch the diagnostic program.
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When the next screen appears, click on the “Particular adjustment mode”
Highlight the “Printer information check” button in the appendix section as shown below and then click “OK” to access the information checking procedure.
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Now click on the “Check” button to read the printer information.
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The information is read and shows that this printer has ROM version CH1385 and that the last error was a LD roller reset error, probably due to incorrect CR lock switch adjustment. It also shows that it has printed 81 times, the ink cartridges have been replaced 81 times and has performed 6 manual cleaning cycles.
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4.6 Control panel buttons This is a picture of the K3 membrane control panel
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The POWER button turns the printer on and off. This button flashes while the printer begins various movements, such as self cleaning etc. It will also flash when you are changing the ink cartridges and during data processing or printing. When it is ready to print, the button will stop flashing and become solid green.
The CLEAN button on the DTG K3™ it is used as a HEAD CLEANING button. Press this button for 4 seconds to clean the printer head. To move the head out from the capping station press this button briefly. There is a built in safety timer which will return the head to the capping station after 4 minutes.
The LOAD button loads the platen. Press this button to load the printer tray to the print starting position. When the LCD displays “READY” the printer is ready to print.
The EJECT button ejects platen from the printer. After the tray is ejected, the LCD displays “READY” the printer is ready to print. If the printer is printing at the time the current print job is cancelled.
The PASS button selects the number of passes per print job. For a two pass print such as when printing on to black garments press this button twice. The pass counter cycles through from 1 to 3.
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The GAP button toggles the gap safety sensor system on or off. The Status of the GAP system will be displayed on the LCD display panel and the GAP light will be either:
GREEN – gap system functioning and no obstruction detected.
ORANGE – gap system is disabled by user and will not automatically drop the platen. However the manual DOWN button will be operational.
RED – gap system functioning and an obstacle has been detected, the bed will be moving down or will be at its lowest point.
The raising and lowering of the scissor bed is controlled via the BED up and down buttons located on the top side of the left front cover.
When the GAP light is green both the up and down buttons will operate.
When the GAP light is orange the automatic raising and lowering is disabled and only a manual DOWN function can be carried out.
When the GAP light is red the GAP system has detected that the beam is interrupted and there is a possible head strike danger.
The bed will actively move down until either the obstacle is removed or the bed reaches its maximum lower limit.
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4.7 Button functions Here is a description of the functions performed by the membrane panel buttons.
Button Printer status Function
POWER off Turns K3 printer on on Turns K3 printer off EJECT off Turns K3 printer on in "Eject to Front" mode. Platen POWER will be ejected forwards on completion of print job
PASS Ready Cycles pass counter 1 through 3 for automatic re-load of media during multi pass print jobs
GAP Ready Toggles the gap sensor protection on and off EJECT Ready L Ejects the platen LOAD Ready N Loads the platen ready for printing CLEAN Ready N Short press causes head to move out of capping station for manual cleaning. This operation is timed
and the head will cap automatically after 240 seconds.
Ready L Short press or longer causes the printer to carry out a head clean operation.
Busy printing Causes the K3 printer to carry out a head clean.
Diagnostic access key press combinations BUTTON COMBINATION S FUNCTION LOAD+PASS+POWER on Exit diagnostic mode LOAD+PASS+POWER off Show BOSS chip code version
LOAD+GAP+POWER off Platen and media sensor diagnostic routine
LOAD+EJECT+POWER off Sensor diagnostic routine LOAD+CLEAN+POWER off Keypad diagnostic routine
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Lights (indicator LED) As discussed previously, the DTG K3™ is based upon the Epson 1900 Stylus Photo desktop printer. This standard printer uses 16-20ml ink cartridges instead of the dampers and bulk ink system used in the DTG K3™. The standard printer uses micro-chips on the ink cartridges to “count” ink drops that pass through the print head to determine when a particular cartridge is getting low on ink. The printer will then flash the corresponding Ink Light as a visual warning to the user. This function is embedded in the firmware of the printer and as such is a function which carries over to the DTG K3™. Neither the Epson 1900 printer nor the DTG K3™ can tell how much ink is actually in the system.
GAP lights
When the GAP function is enabled and there is no GAP problem the light is green, orange means the GAP protection is turned OFF, red means the GAP sensor has detected an obstruction.
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4.8 Print head The K3 print head is an F-Mach piezo DOD with special face coating. There are eight banks of nozzles with each bank having 180 nozzles.
The actual print head face is shown below. The arrows indicate the three screw mount holes that hold the print head in the carriage assembly.
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When inserting the print head FFC’s be sure to centre them correctly before insertion to avoid peeling the conductive strip from the FFC carrier. The picture below shows the FFC socket which should be free from discolouration and moisture. Discolouration and moisture indicate damage due to ink spillage.
4.9 K3 print head replacement procedure. Turn off the printer using the OFF button on the control panel, and then remove the mains power lead from the rear of the printer. Place an absorbent towel or similar on top of the conveyor belt and position it underneath the carriage path to collect any possible ink spills.
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Unlock the head by inserting a number 2 phillips screw driver through the hole and rotating the locking header in an anti-clockwise direction.
Remove the screw which secures the manifold to the manifold support plate
Gently tilt the manifold and damper assembly and pull upwards to release.
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Allow the assembly to hang over the left hand side of the carriage assembly
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Remove yellow damper and place into a folded absorbent towel as shown here. Repeat with the remaining three colours until all colour dampers are in the folded towel.
Lift the manifold and all dampers up and slide the carriage assembly to the left, let the dampers and ink lines hang as show here in this picture. The absorbent towels will prevent any ink from getting on to the conveyor belt.
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Insert a small flat screw driver underneath the clip shield locking tab and lift shield.
Use the screw driver to unclip the shield pivot and remove the FFC shield.
Remove the three head screws from the carriage assembly.
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Lift the head up and out of the carriage assembly.
Locate the absorber pad which often sticks to the print head and remove it.
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Place the absorber into the absorber seat as shown here.
Carefully unplug the two FFC from the print head, be sure to do one at a time.
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You have now removed the print head from the K3 carriage assembly.
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4.10 AUTO AC MODULE The AUTO AC module is accessed via a removable panel on the right hand side of the K3 body. The panel is secured by four screws as shown.
To prevent the cover from slipping off and becoming damaged, be sure to hold the panel firmly as the last screw is removed.
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A – Pressure pump for the colour ink system.
B – One way safety valve
C – Auto AC control board
D – Torroidal transformer
E – 12v switching PSU with green “power good” indicator in front.
F – 12v switching PSU with green “power good” indicator in front.
G – 24v switching PSU with green “power good” indicator in front.
The K3 had automatic voltage detection to ensure that the correct mains voltage is supplied to the Epson board at all times. When power is applied to the K3, the mains voltage is measured. During this period the 230,115 and ON lights will cycle.
The AC output voltage is either halved or doubled according to the region. The auto ac control chip then indicates the input voltage by means of a yellow LED. Finally the auto ac system checks to see if the EMERGENCY STOP is not activated before supplying power to the various units.
If the emergency stop has been activated the RED LED on the auto ac board will turn on to indicate that the system is in EMERGENCY STOP mode.
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A – HALT light, indicates that the emergency stop is activated.
B – 230 light, indicates the K3 has been plugged into a 220-240VAC supply.
C – ON light, indicates the K3 is plugged into a mains supply.
D –115 light, indicates the K3 has been plugged into a 110-120VAC supply.
The K3 has three additional switching power supply modules:
The scissor board and scissor drive has a 12VDC 1.3 amp foldback current limited supply.
The BOSS board and WIMS has a 12VDC 1.3 amp foldback current limited supply.
The K3 servo drive system has a 24VDC 4 amp foldback current limited supply.
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4.11 Manually wipe the Print Head Face When the printer is in ready mode and platen is NOT loaded, press the Clean button briefly to move the head out of the capping station. Use some clean soft lint free cloth or fine foam moistened with 1900 to gently wipe the areas around the Print Head Face to remove any lint / ink build up not cleared by the printer’s own head cleaning process. Keeping your Print Head clear of ink and lint build up will assist in preventing ink dripping on your garment during printing. Do NOT re-use the foam pads / cloth – you don’t want to be wiping old ink back over the Print Head surface. When finished, press CLEAN briefly to return the head to the capping station. WARNING The head will automatically return to the capping station after 4 minutes. The display will show the time remaining until this happens.
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4.12 Clean the Encoder Strip
The Encoder Strip is the thin plastic strip that runs behind the Print Head for the length of the carriage area. It looks to be clear or at least slightly grey in colour, but is in fact clear with hundreds of fine vertical marks on it. There is a sensor that sits behind the Print Head carriage which “reads” these vertical marks so that the Print Head knows exactly where to spray the ink. You can understand that if this strip gets dirty, the sensor will be unable to read these marks properly and your printer is likely to get “confused”. Lint from your garments, ink overspray, and even airborne pre-treatment spray can all contribute to a grime build-up on the Encoder Strip, and it is important that you clean this strip at least weekly, even daily if you have a high daily production volume:
Ensure the printer is turned off. Using a soft clean cloth, or a sponge tip applicator, moistened with distilled or purified water, or Isopropyl Alcohol (NOT rubbing alcohol), GENTLY rub both faces of the encoder strip. If the cloth or applicator gets dirty, discard it and use a clean one. Move the print head to the left so that you can clean the entire length of the encoder strip. Allow the encoder strip to dry thoroughly before using the printer again.
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4.13 Clean and Lubricate the Print Head Guide Rails Inspect the Print Head Guide Rails regularly and remove any dust and grime build up with a soft dry cloth.
Every few weeks, place a drop of special grease on each guide rail to keep the Print Head moving freely. Please use the oil sparingly as too much grease will collect dust and grime.
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4.14 Clean the Drive Roller and Belt The Drive Belt and Roller can collect a build up of pre-treatment, dust and lint in their “teeth”. An excessive build up can cause the Print Head to “skip” during printing.
Use a small brush or mini-vacuum cleaner to clean the teeth of the Drive Belt and the Drive Roller. You may also need to use a small sharp object and/or a small pair of tweezers to remove stubborn build up. This should be done monthly or more frequently if your DTG K3™ produces high volumes of output.
Take care not to touch the encoder strip during the cleaning process as it can be easily damaged, and attempt to “capture” any debris removed from the Drive Belt so that it does not contaminate other working components of the printer.
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4.15 Outer case part removal Undo the four screws on the right side of the printer case and unclip the ink lines.
Remove the four screws from the left side of the printer case and unclip the ink lines.
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4.16 Outer case part removal Remove the inner case part screws; there are four on each side.
Lower the case part until it rests against the bottom of the base section as shown.
Remove the inner case parts and place to one side.
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4.17 Control panel removal Remove the four mounting screws from the control panel case part and swing it forwards.
Unplug the keypad FFC from the BOSS board; note the two left pins are not connected.
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Undo the two display panel nuts and release the LCD holder from the cover.
Slide the display panel through the access hole and behind the front case.
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Rest the display panel on the edge of the scissor bed. BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE WIRING OR LCD CONNECTIONS AS INTERMITENT ERRORS SUCH AS UNRECOGNISABLE CHARACTERS WILL OCCUR.
Unhook the WIMS and the colour ink carrier from the hinges and place onto the scissor side covers as shown here.
The case can now be lifted off carefully to expose the insides of the K3 printer.
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Here is a picture of the front right side of the K3 with the cover removed
Note that the USB cable is plugged into the right hand USB port. The left hand port is used for special functions that are not accessed during normal use and should not be used.
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4.18 Main board Replacement
Remove the 6 rear screws from the cover, do not forget the USB screws. Unplug the USB cable from the USB socket. Note that the left USB socket is NOT USED. Be sure to plug the USB cable into the correct socket (RIGHT) when re-assembling the printer.
Remove the screw from the right hand side near the heat sink unit. Be careful not to drop the screw into the printer
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Remove the screw from the lower left side near the mounting bracket which is located near the mains plug. Then unplug the main plug from the unit.
Unplug the cables and FFC’s to the Epson main board. Pay careful attention to their locations. Gently lift the cover up to access the main board.
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Remove the four screws that secure the board to the frame case.
Carefully unclip the top half of the PSU cable connector as shown.
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Unplug the PSU cable from the clip socket.
The Epson main board can now be removed from the bay. Be careful not to leave any screws in the base after removing the main board.
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4.19 Scissor drive
The scissor drive assembly comprises a scissor control board, an upper and lower limit switch, a beam sensor and 12vdc gearhead motor. The scissor control board, shown here, is located just below the K3 BOSS board behind and below the control panel.
The scissor control board operates independently from the BOSS board and has its own microprocessor. It controls the GAP light and relays that switch of the scissor gearhead motor on or off. There is a control enable term supplied by the BOSS board to either enable or disable the automatic lowering of the bed when an obstruction is detected by the beam sensor.
The enable is configured so that should the enable plug be removed or there is a break in the enable circuit then the GAP protection defaults to an ON condition.
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Here is a detailed picture of the Scissor control board showing the positioning of the connector plugs.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
There are three plugs on the scissor control board that are not used; these plugs should be left blank. Plugging into the wrong sockets will damage the scissor board, this damage is easily identified during warranty part replacement testing.
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The upper and lower limit switches are located on the left side underneath the conveyor.
Shown here is the scissor motor, scissor belt and scissor pulley. The scissor pulley and scissor motor mounting screws are accessed via the cover box which is held in place by two screws.
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The scissor gear head motor (A) drives the scissor pulley (C) via toothed scissor belt (B) which rotates screw shaft (D) causing thrust block (E) to move. This action is translated by means of a precision scissor mechanism into an up and down movement of the scissor bed.
The other end of the screw shaft is anchored against the flange bearing mounted in the bearing plate. This is where the counter thrust for the block is achieved.
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4.20 Head safety beam circuit The scissor board relies on feedback from a narrow beam photo interrupter located just inside the front left and right of the K3 body. The height is set at the factory and should not need adjusting; however the process for setting the correct gap is as follows.
Place a 150mm steel ruler on top of the front right of the platen and adjust the height so that the top of the platen is level with the top edge of the carriage frame near the print head.
Here is a view from underneath.
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Turn the gap sensor off by pressing the GAP button, and loosen the two adjusting screws on the beam transmitter module which is mounted on the right side of the K3.
Adjust the sensor height while monitoring the LED indicators on the receiver unit which is mounted on the left side of the K3. The idle indication is that both green and orange are on, if the green light is the only one on then the beam is interrupted. Adjust the height so that the beam just turns green at the level set by the steel ruler bridging the platen / carriage frame gap.
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4.21 K3 BOSS board
The K3 BOSS board is a sophisticated control unit which manages the various operations of the printer. Here is a picture of the K3 BOSS.
Because only high quality turned pin IC sockets are used it is important to ensure that the pins are correctly aligned before pressing the IC in. Failure to do so will cause the IC pin or leg to fold causing an intermittent connection. Note pin two ( second pin from top right ) of the IC in the picture above has folded in and has not seated correctly.
Be sure to plug the FFC’s in the correct way around or damage will result. The blue tape on CN1 and CN5 face OUTWARDS and the blue tape on CN4 faces INWARDS.
All sockets are clearly marked.
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4.22 PF motor and encoder assembly
The PF motor and associated components are located at the front upper right section of the K3 safely away from dust and ink ingress. The PF encoder sensor is an optical quadrature sensor which allows both speed and direction to be accurately monitored by the control circuitry. The quadrature emitter LED is turned off when the printer enters low power mode to conserve power. This occurs if left inactive for a certain period.
The PF motor is mounted at a very slight angle from the encoder disc wheel by means of the offset adjuster which is shown here. This is to ensure that the belt runs in the centre portion of the PF motor pulley and disk wheel. It is factory set and should not need any adjustment.
IMPORTANT NOTE : The encoder disk has a rough side and a smooth side, when replacing the disk ensure that the SMOOTH side faces out away from the PF motor.
NOTES:
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4.23 Relay board and platen gap mechanism
The relay board is located behind the PF assembly. The media switch, APG sensors and quadrature sensor FFC cable are routed via this board to an FFC cable which plugs directly into the BOSS board. This picture shows the sockets for the Media sensor and the PF encoder sensor.
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The set of gears in the lower right side of the picture make up the platen gap adjustment mechanism. There is an integrated protective cover which shields the moving parts from the wiring and piping that it routed down between the relay board and head gap adjustment mechanism.
There are two transmissive photo interrupter sensors that signal the position of the head gap, these are APG sensor 1 and 2, and the outputs from the sensors translate to 5 height settings ranging from 1.05mm to 4.50mm. The maximum distance from print head face to media should be set to 2.5mm maximum to ensure good print quality.
The entire APG assembly is held to the chassis by three screws and can be easily removed.
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4.24 Automatic Platen Gap mechanism
The APG assembly transfers rotary drive motion via gear “A” to gear “C” which is mounted on the carriage shaft and has a cam moulding at the rear. The cam is pressed by spring “B” against the cam roller located on plate “D” underneath the portion of gear “C” marked with a blue line. When cam gear “C” rotates in a clockwise direction the cam pushes the carriage shaft upwards against the spring “B” and therefore moves the carriage away from the media increasing the platen gap. Plate “D” is factory set to ensure that the cam offset is correctly positioned to provide a precise home position offset and MUST NOT BE ADJUSTED.
NOTES:
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4.25 APG sensors
The picture below shows the two APG sensors. The home sensor, which is the one with the blue plug, interacts with the curved interrupter to provide position information which indicates to the main board when the mechanism is in the highest position (largest platen gap)
The incremental settings corresponding to the various platen gap settings is monitored by the height sensor (with the white plug) and associated slot interrupters. By counting the pulses from this sensor the main board can calculate the gap setting.
NOTES:
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CR lock switch
The CR (Carriage) lock switch is mounted at the lower left front side of the capping station. Its function is to signal to the BOSS board when the carriage is locked in home position and properly capped. The switch position is adjusted by means of two screws and a backing plate.
The switch is set to be closed when the carriage is locked into the home position.
When the carriage is locked home, the capping assembly is allowed to rise and presses against the outer edge of the print head by means of spring tension from the two head cap springs located directly underneath the cap. At the same time, a cam assembly inside the left rear of the capping station lifts the CR locking arm up to prevent the head from being moved out of the cap inadvertently.
The lock cam on the left side of the capping station raises and lowers a lever which in turn activates or deactivates the CR lock switch shown above. The actual switching point is adjusted by means of the CR lock switch mounting screws.
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Here is a close up picture of the CR lock switch when the carriage is unlocked.
This is a close up picture of the CR lock switch when the carriage is locked.
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This shows the positions of the pump/capping assembly parts when locked.
Here are the positions when unlocked.
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4.26 Media switch
The media switch is located on the right side of the scissor bed. It is to sense the position of the platen or media tray during loading and printing. This is held in place by two screws.
Here is the media switch assembly removed from the printer. Note the height of the rounded portion at the end of the actuator. The switch clips to the carrier plate and is held in place by means of a cable tie. The carrier plate is locked in place by the height screws. The media switch height is set by loosening these screws, sliding the carrier plate up or down and then re-tightening the height screws.
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Here is a close up view of the media switch and how it is positioned to correctly register the leading edge of the platen accurately.
It is extremely important that the media switch height is correctly set. If the actuator arm is set too low then it is likely that you will get problems during the load and/or eject phases of operation. This is due to the possibility of the platen base to rise high enough during operation to allow the switch to flick up, this immediately signals the printer that the print has completed and the platen will eject. If this happens during the time when the platen reverses it can create an error which may result in the platen being ejected off the conveyor.
If the media switch is set too high. the platen may jam against the actuator resulting in misaligned prints or poor print quality due to the whole platen being forced upwards as the conveyor belt moves the platen over the switch.
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4.27 Servo motor and driver board
The Servo motor is located on the inner front side of the K3 chassis, and the servo board is located under the right front side cover. The board is powered by 24vdc and has a 5vdc switching regulator connected to it to provide the logic voltage.
This is the servo motor. Access is achieved by removing the servo cover as shown here which is held in place by two screws. The servo encoder is located on the back of the motor.
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The servo motor control board contains a precision brushless motor servo driver coupled to a high speed dedicated control system. The whole process of driving the servo motor is done within the limits of various stored settings that include a PID process. The picture bellow shows the parameter settings for the K3 when accessed by the special factory program during assembly.
These settings may not match the settings that were set on your machine by the factory during assembly and should not be changed at any time. The information on this page is ONLY to provide a more complete picture of the operation of the K3 and assist in the understanding of its operation by field technicians and repair staff.
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4.28 Media conveyor belt tension adjustment.
The media transport system on the K3 uses a conveyor belt to carry the platen or media tray along the print path. This conveyor belt uses a mechanical tensioning system comprising two adjuster bolts located under the rear of the printer bed, one on the right and one on the left. In some instances it may be necessary to adjust the tensioners to ensure that the belt continues to run in the centre of the printer bed. This adjustment requires a 10mm open face spanner and the adjustment should only be done a quarter of a turn each time.
The right side tensioner bolt is shown here; note that there is a locking nut to ensure that the setting does not change.
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4.29 Conveyor belt tension roller replacement.
Remove the two rear side covers to gain access to the tensioner pivot shaft. Locate the two tensioner adjustment bolts, one on the left and one on the right of the tensioner assembly. Loosen the lock nuts on both bolts and unscrew until the nut is flush with the end of the tensioner adjustment bolts as shown here
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Unwind both tensioner adjustment bolts until they are all the way down.
The tensioner assembly will swing down as shown here.
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Locate and remove the tensioner pivot shaft cir-clip from one side only, and remove.
Carefully withdraw the shaft from the opposite side. Be careful not to drop the pivot shaft spacers, there is one on each side of the shaft.
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Carefully remove the entire conveyor belt tensioner assembly and remove the roller shaft cir-clip from one side.
Withdraw the shaft from the opposite side and be careful not to loose the spacers.
Replace the tensioner roller and re-assemble as shown. Do not forget to put the spacers back.
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Carefully slide the shaft backwards until the edge of the shaft lines up with the outer edge of the spacer. Then angle the shaft down to insert into the locating hole.
Fit the cir-clip and then fit the tensioner assembly back into the printer.
When sliding the tensioner pivot shaft back through the printer frame and tensioner assembly be sure to put the spacers back. Insert the shaft until it just protrudes through the tensioner frame and then use the long nose pliers to hold the spacer steady.
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Line up the conveyor belt and set the conveyor belt tension. Replace the two rear side covers.
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4.30 Servo motor encoder replacement.
Remove the servo encoder cover screws and carefully remove the cover to gain access to the encoder assembly. Ensure that you do not damage any of the wiring during this process. Remove the two encoder mounting screws.
Slide the encoder assembly off the shaft and separate the black and white locking bushes. Clean the encoder shaft and then place a small blob (about the size of a match head) of RTV silicone adhesive half way along the encoder shaft.
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Gently push the white locking bush onto the shaft, rotate the bush as you do so to coat the shaft evenly with the adhesive. Do not push the bush all the way down.
Apply more adhesive to the outside of the white locking bush as shown above.
Gently push the black locking bush over to the white locking bush and apply a thin bead of adhesive around the outside of the black locking bush.
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Now gently slide the encoder housing onto the locking bushes. There should be a small gap of about 3mm between the servo motor face plate and the encoder assembly.
There should be no excess adhesive visible. Rotate the servo motor shaft slowly several times and then push the encoder up against the servo motor face and screw in place.
Replace the servo motor cover and do not use until the adhesive has dried for the specified curing time. Be careful not to trap any of the servo assembly wires when replacing the covers.
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4.31 Control Panel ERROR CODES
Symptom Possible Causes Remedies
NOTE : THESE FIELDS HAVE DELIBERATLY BEEN LEFT BLANK
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5 Transporting or Storing the Printer It is extremely important you observe the following before transporting or an extended shut down of your DTG K3™:
5.1 Preparing the printer for transportation If the printer is to be transported over a long distance, and/or by a common carrier (where you cannot control the “care” with which the printer is transported) it is best to flush the printer of ink to avoid the possibility of ink spills and the ink drying in the print head.
Empty the bulk ink bottles (pour the contents back into the originally supply bottles, or other clean bottles, for later use), wash / scrub them and then rinse them with warm soapy water.
Ensure that the Waste Ink Bottle is empty and the drip collection trays are dry. Connect the flushing assembly to the drain tube that goes into the waste ink bottle. Slowly pump the syringe to pull cleaning fluid through the pipework, dampers and head. Lower the scissor bed to its lowest position using the bed down button. Turn the printer off using the Power button on the Control Panel – the print head should
lock at the far right side of the printer as part of the shut down process. Turn off the printer and unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet. Then
disconnect the printer cable from printer to computer. Remove any objects from the conveyor belt Tape the ink bottle holders to the printer case using tape. Repack the printer in the box it was shipped in. If you are returning the printer for repair
you do not need to include the USB cable, printer drivers or Height Adjustment Guide. You should include the power cord.
Try to keep the printer level while transporting it.
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5.2 Preparing the Printer for an Extended Shutdown / Storage If the printer is not to be used for an extended period of time (more than 1 – 2 weeks), we recommend that you thoroughly flush the printer of all ink to avoid the possibility of ink drying out in the Ink System (ink tubes, valves, dampers and print head):
1. Turn the Power button on the Control Panel off, but leave the printer connected to mains power.
2. Pour the inks from each of the ink bottles at the rear of the printer back into the bottles that they were originally supplied from. Use a piece of scrap fabric to wipe excess ink from each of the ink tubes as they are removed from each of the ink bottles.
3. Thoroughly wash and rinse each of the bottles from the rear of the printer (you may need to use a small brush, such as a toothbrush, to scrub each bottle to ensure that it is free of the old ink).
4. Fill each ink bottle to approximately 2/3 full of cleaning fluid. Re-attach the caps/ ink tubes to the ink bottles.
5. Ensure that the waste ink bottle is empty - please check the waste ink bottle regularly during this procedure.
6. Connect the flushing system to the waste ink drain pipe.
7. Slowly pump the syringe to pull the liquid through the pipe work, dampers and head. Please also monitor the levels of water in each of the ink bottles so that they do not run dry.
8. Once you are satisfied that the ink tubes are completely purged of the old ink, stop the ink fill process. Dispose of any remaining fluid from the ink bottles.
9. Fill each ink bottle to approximately 1/3 full with DTG cleaning fluid.
10. Cover the DTG K3™ and observe the recommended Environmental Conditions as previously outlined
11. Observe the Inks handling and storage guidelines as outlined previously.
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6 Requirements for PC Minimum System Requirements for Windows • Microsoft Windows compatible P4 PC with Windows XP home or professional recommended.
• A minimum of 1GB of RAM is recommended.
• A minimum of 200MB on your hard disk.
• A display monitor with a resolution of 1024 by 768 minimum.
• CD-ROM or DVD drives for installing the Printer Drivers.
• USB 2.0 connection: a 1.8m maximum length USB that complies with Windows.
7 Printer Specifications
Method of printing: Piezo I.D.O.D Ink-Jet
Print Resolution: Max.1400×1440dpi
Max Printable Width: 300mm
Max Printable Length: 790mm
Max Print Media Thickness: 125mm (Maximum thickness)
Ink: Eight independent ink bottles Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, White x 4
Interface: USB 1 or 2, IEEE1394
Power: to suit local requirements
Power Consumption: Active: Approx 35W
Stay: Approx 25W
External Dimensions: Width: 470mm Length: 1260mm Height: 460mm
Weight: Approx 56KG
Included Printer Parts： Standard platen
USB Cable 1.8m
AC Power Cable 1.8m
CD with drivers and e-manual.
Manual cleaning pump and collection bottle
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CHANGES done to documentation
DTG K3 TECH V1 14/01/10
Added pictures and information to section on CR lock switch
Added pictures and information to section on media switch
Changed picture of cartridges in bay to version with resistors
Added K3 wiring diagram
Added explanation of unit functions in POST section
Changed maximum gap setting from 4mm to 2.5mm
Added section on APG assembly and sensors
Added section on running diagnostic program fro information check
